The Lawless
by His Majesty the Emperor
Summary: The Clone Wars episode "The Lawless" told from Palpatine's point of view. One shot.


**I just finished watching The Lawless online and it was fantastic. As a Palpatine fanatic I just couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. So here for your reading pleasure is The Lawless from Palpatine's point of view. Everything in quotes is dialogue from the episode. Anything not in quotes are Palpatine's thoughts. I don't own Star Wars and I am not making any money off of this. Please leave a review.**

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The tendrils of the Darkside twist and swirl about me. The galaxy feels as though it were on fire. From the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim Territories death and war are sown like seeds in the wind. Misery and chaos are reaped from this harvest of destruction as the desperate shrieks of the dying cry out for help.

It is glorious.

But one insignificant little spark in the blazing inferno of war and deprivation draws my attention. Such sorrow I have rarely sensed before. It is the loss felt by one who has seen death before, but is nevertheless wounded by the demise of those they love dearest. It is the sorrow brought on by thoughts of what could have been, but never was. It is the sorrow of a man who so loved a woman, but was required to set aside his feelings in the name of duty. It is the sorrow of a man who never got the chance in that final moment to say, "I love you to."

_Kenobi, _ever the gallant knight in shining armor, off to face his foe and rescue his lady love.

The quintessential Jedi.

The quintessential fool.

One would think that these imbeciles would recognize when to cut their losses and run. But no, Kenobi is so desperate to save those he cares about, so desperate to do the right thing.

I suppose that would be an admirable quality, fighting for what you believe in. If you were actually successful, that is.

But Kenobi has failed. The Duchess Satine is dead.

And Maul is responsible for this.

It is time that I finally put the next phase of my plan into action.

With a flick of my wrist I press the comm button on my desk. "Mr. Speaker, meet me in my office."

It will take a few minutes for Amedda to get here. I get up from my chair and find myself turning to face the window. Before me and beneath me the city bustles with activity, its occupants scurrying about like insects going about their meaningless lives. The galaxy in some ways is like a giant hive of insects. And every hive needs a strong queen to protect the hive and insure its safety. Or, in this case, a strong _Emperor_. But in the grand scheme of things one title of nobility is just as valid as any other.

My eyes close and I allow myself a few precious moments to simply stand there and immerse myself in Kenobi's suffering. It is like nectar, sweet to the taste. I rarely grant myself such luxuries anymore. The demands of the Chancellorship and the Sith Order are endless and require constant supervision and care. But this is something I cannot pass up. Such sadness, sadness that Kenobi will try to repress. It threatens to eat him alive and swallow him whole. It is quite cathartic to feel a Jedi such as Kenobi receive his just amount of pain, even if it is only in the mind.

The doors slide open and Mas Amedda walks past the guards and into the office. "You summoned me Chancellor." The way he phrases it makes it sound like a question, but we both know better than that. It is a rather polite and respectful way of asking his Liege what his marching orders are.

"Prepare my ship." Is all that I have to say. Recognizing that I have no additional orders the Speaker turns and walks out of the office. I allow myself a minute or two more, allowing the waves of fear and anguish that Kenobi is feeling to wash over me. I then prepare myself for what is about to come.

The shuttle is equipped with an incredibly fast hyperdrive, so the trip is relatively short as far as interstellar travel is concerned. I spend what time I have meditating on the Darkside, readying my mind and body for this ultimate test. There can only be two, a master and an apprentice, one to embody power, the other to crave it. And by my estimates there are currently four. Myself, Dooku, Maul, and that half-wit brother of his, Savage. Hmm, maybe three and a half. The coming hours will decide the fate of the Sith. Not that it really matters. My victory is already assured. Nothing can halt my ascendency now, especially not that pathetic little Zabrak and his pet monster.

Once on Mandalore getting to the Palace is absurdly easy. The Death Watch prizes its members as great warriors, but they are so easily disposed of. It does not surprise me in the least that Maul would so quickly become the leader of such a pathetic band of rabble. It is clear that he didn't face any legitimate threat when dealing with them.

With a wave of my hand the doors to Maul's little throne room open, his guards strangled and rendered useless.

Maul falls to his knees and bows his head in a show of reverence. "Master" he says breathlessly.

The sheer terror is palpable. One doesn't need the Force to recognize it. No doubt Maul bragged to his brother about how together they would overthrow my rule and become the undisputed Lords of the Sith. But that is easier said than done.

I cannot help but sneer at this false display of loyalty. "I am most impressed to see that you have survived your injuries."

"I used your training Master, and I have built all this in hopes of returning to your side." He says, his voice subservient and respectful. It reminds me of the way he was before the Battle of Naboo.

Who does he think he is fooling? I am the lord of deceit after all, and this ruse he is trying to pull off is so transparent that not even a child could possibly be fooled by it. He hopes in vain that I will believe that he is still the same obedient and worshipping apprentice that he was all those years ago. It reeks of desperation. He and Savage are not yet ready to face me, and Maul knows it. Savage is getting ready to strike. It really is quite amateurish.

This all amuses me greatly, and I cannot help but sigh theatrically at Maul's words. "How unfortunate that you are attempting to deceive me." I turn away and prepare for what is to come.

"Master?" Maul asks. He is desperate to buy himself time, even if it is only a few seconds. Well my old apprentice, times up.

"You have become a RIVAL!" I turn back to face these two would be usurpers and with a push of my hands telekinetically throw them into a window. The pane of glass cracks under the strain, but does not break.

A gush of laughter erupts from my mouth and I allow the two to fall to the floor. It has been ages since I have had the opportunity to utilize purely physical force on my enemies. I relish this opportunity. The Brother's sabers ignite, as do mine. They charge towards me and the battle is joined. I laugh again, nearly overcome with primal delight. This is going to be fun.

We dance a beautiful and deadly dance, our bodies in tune with the spirit of the Darkside, our minds filled with cold and calculated rage. Across the capital I can sense that the fighting has broken out between Maul's loyalists and the rebels. Former comrades now reap mayhem and death upon one another. This is the true face of sentientkind; murder, cruelty, brutality and pain. War and destruction are the natural impulses of all that lives.

On more "civilized" worlds like Coruscant they have laws and societies. People try to act decently with one another and like to pretend that that is the natural way of things. But they delude themselves. At heart, we are all untamed animals. And if this is so then I am the King of the Beasts.

Our duel moves out of the throne room onto the balcony. I could have easily ended this duel within the first ten seconds, but where is the fun in that? I want to play with my prey a little before I kill them. I want to raise their hopes of surviving this duel, only to dash them beneath my heel.

Savage knocks me off of the balcony, but I will not allow these cretins to gain the high ground. With the Force I pull both Savage and Maul off of the balcony. The duel continues. _Slash block, thrust, parry, parry, slash, block, slash, thrust._

I am beginning to grow tired of Savage. With a Force Push Maul is sent colliding into a wall, allowing me to concentrate solely on Savage. He tries so desperately to fight me off, but without his precious brother he is useless. With my back to Savage, I apply a reverse grip to my Lightsabers and gut the brute like a fish.

I look at Maul and see the horror in his eyes. His fear amuses me. So I decide to add insult to injury and laugh at his pathetic failure of an apprentice.

"Brother!" he exclaims. With a telekinetic shove I throw Savage off of the platform we were standing on. I expect the duel to resume in earnest, but Maul does something most unexpected. He runs _past_ me and jumps down to tend to his fallen brother.

My, my, Maul has gone soft these past few years. To think that he actually shows concern of this creature. Has he truly forgotten that no Sith can ever really care for another? But it would seem that he is actually upset that Savage is dead. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. What does it matter? I'll laugh anyways. It is time to end this little game. It is time that I make Maul realize his irrelevance.

"Remember the first and only reality of the Sith, there can only be two. And you are no longer my apprentice."

He turns to face me, his face contorted in rage. And now to shatter his resolve permanently.

"You have been _replaced_."

It is over now. Maul may continue to fight me. Our blades may continue to twirl, hum, and slash through the air, but it is over. The fight has gone out of him, I can tell. Maul was once such a loyal apprentice, more like a pet trying to please its master. Desperate for approval, desperate for recognition, desperate for attention, desperate for _love_. Yes, though Maul would never admit it to anyone, he saw me as a father, and like any son he frantically sought my love and support, in a twisted and dark way of course. And now he knows for sure that those twisted bonds are broken forever.

In a last act of defiance, Maul calls on his rage and locks his two sabers with mine, seeking to overpower me.

It is time to end this.

In a single fluid motion I have Maul disarmed.

With the Force I lift him up and throw him to the ground, and then into the wall. Each time his body impacts it lets out a hideous thud. Any lesser being would have found their bones shattered under the force of such an impact. But Maul is strong. He just isn't strong enough to beat me.

"Have mercy, _please, please_!" He begs. If there was any doubt that Maul was unfit of being a Sith Lord before, then there is none now. To fall to such a pitiful state, begging for one's life like a child. This is a cardinal sin among the Sith. To beg to be spared is the ultimate sign of weakness. And the Sith are NOT WEAK.

"There is no mercy." I snarl. It is time for me to put Maul in his place. After tonight he shall never question my power and my right to rule.

I draw upon my rage at Maul's impudence and lightening leaps unbound from my fingertips. Maul howls in agony. This is just the beginning my old apprentice, when I am through you shall realize the true meaning of pain.

"Do not worry; I'm not going to kill you. I have other uses for you."

For Maul this is a fate worse than death. Maul thought himself free of my service, but he was deceived, just as everyone else has been deceived. He shall continue to serve my purposes well. And he shall pay the price for his defiance.

The lightening again courses from my hands, and Maul screams and screams. His screams are sweet music to my ears. He begs for death, begs for release. But he is not that lucky.

He will still be of use in the months to come.

Everything is going according to plan.


End file.
